Ezekiel 22:23-31

Modern English Version

Indictment of Sinful Leaders

²³ The word of the Lord came to me, saying: ²⁴ Son of man, say to her: You are the land that is not cleansed nor rained upon in the day of indignation. ²⁵ There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls. They have taken the treasure and precious things. They have made many widows in her midst. ²⁶ Her priests have violated My law and have profaned My holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and profane, nor have they shown the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. ²⁷ Her officials in her midst are like wolves ravening the prey by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to obtain dishonest gain. ²⁸ Her prophets have daubed them with whitewash, seeing vanity and divining lies for them, saying, “Thus says the Lord God,” when the Lord has not spoken. ²⁹ The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery and have vexed the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner wrongfully.

³⁰ I sought for a man among them who would build up the hedge and stand in the gap before Me for the land so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. ³¹ Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them. I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. Their own way I have recompensed on their heads, says the Lord God.